This site uses cookies to improve your experience and to provide services and advertising.
By continuing to browse, you agree to the use of cookies described in our Cookies Policy.
You may change your settings at any time but this may impact on the functionality of the site.
To learn more see our Cookies Policy.

Residents started protesting at 7am this morning.

RESIDENTS LIVING IN Mosney Direct Provision centre in Co Meath have held a protest today over the treatment of fellow residents by staff and management at the centre.

Shortly after 7am, dozens of residents of the centre near Drogheda gathered at the gates in protest before staff arrived.

In a video posted on social media, residents can be seen protesting near the reception to Mosney with a number of cars blocking the entrance.

Gardaí were called to the scene and arrived at 8.20am, according to a garda spokesperson. ”No injuries and no arrests were reported,” they said.

According to one resident who took part in the demonstration, the situation is “still tense” as of 5pm.

In a statement today, the Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland (MASI) said that residents of the centre were protesting following the recent hospitalisation of a single mother who was moved from the centre to a hotel in Co Cavan with her three children.

The group said that residents at Mosney are “fearful and reluctant to raise issues they have with management because the minute a person complains, they are moved to another centre” and called on the Department of Justice & Equality to abolish the Direct Provision system and “treat people with dignity”.

Source: Facebook.com

A former holiday camp, Mosney has been a Direct Provision centre since 2002 and currently accommodates nearly 700 asylum seekers.

Last year, Mosney Holidays PLC received €8.6 million from the government, bringing the total amount the company has received from the State between 2002 and 2018 to €136 million.

Since September, pressure has grown on the Reception & Integration Agency to accommodate those seeking international protection in Ireland. There currently over 500 asylum seekers living in hotels and B&Bs around Ireland.

‘Peaceful protest’

Commenting on today’s protest, the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) has called for independent inspections of Direct Provision centres and said that conditions in centres are “degrading and must improve”.

“Residents in Direct Provision Centres enjoy the right to peaceful protest in the same manner as anyone else in Ireland,” an ICCL spokesperson told TheJournal.ie.

“We have consistently voiced concern about the lack of oversight and accountability of privately run Direct Provision Centres. As state funded institutions, the state has a duty to ensure the human rights of residents are respected.”

“We regard Direct Provision Centres as falling within the category of places of detention. Independent and unannounced inspections should be allowed,” the spokesperson added.

“This is why we have called time and time again for the ratification of the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture which would mandate the government to facilitate such inspections.”

“We call on the Government to ratify this Protocol without delay. ”

A spokesperson for the Department of Justice & Equality told TheJournal.ie that RIA management visited the accommodation centre today and spoke to Mosney management and staff.

“In keeping with established practice, RIA staff are available to residents in all centres to discuss any issues or concerns they may have,” the spokesperson said. “The Gardaí were present for a short time this morning due to the road being blocked.”

“RIA will continue to monitor the situation in Mosney and to offer appropriate supports to residents.”

TheJournal.ie is a full participating member of the Press Council of Ireland and supports
the Office of the Press Ombudsman. This scheme in addition to defending the freedom of the
press, offers readers a quick, fair and free method of dealing with complaints that they may
have in relation to articles that appear on our pages. To contact the Office of the
Press Ombudsman Lo-Call 1890 208 080 or go to
www.pressombudsman.ie
or www.presscouncil.ie

Please note that TheJournal.ie uses cookies to improve your experience and to provide services and advertising. For more information on cookies please refer to our cookies policy.

Journal Media does not control and is not responsible for user created content, posts, comments, submissions or preferences. Users are reminded that they are fully responsible for their own created content and their own posts, comments and submissions and fully and effectively warrant and indemnify Journal Media in relation to such content and their ability to make such content, posts, comments and submissions available. Journal Media does not control and is not responsible for the content of external websites.